In order to keep the eyes healthy for the long term, you should get regular eye exams. During these sessions, the eye doctor will perform various tests that can highlight issues that might affect your eye health.

For instance, the doctor will often check how well you can see over distances by asking you to read lines of letters from a chart. He or she might also ask you to cover one eye at a time during certain tests in order to identify any potential issues with eye movement.

Other common tests include a visual examination of the eye itself to identify potential problems. Additionally, the doctor may look at parts of the back of the eye after dilating, or enlarging, the pupils with special eye drops. The eye examination may also include a test of the pressure inside the eye, which can alert the doctor of a potential risk for glaucoma.